Bhubaneswar: Sleuths of Goods and Services Tax (GST) carried out simultaneous raids at jewellery shops in some cities including Bhubaneswar and Puri in Odisha ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali festivals.
According to sources, the raids were carried out to detect alleged tax evasion and the GST officials examined volumes of documents relating to business done in the recent past. The gold ornaments, hallmarks and other relevant documents were also thoroughly examined, reports said on Saturday.
As part of the operations undertaken on Friday, the GST sleuths cracked down on a reputed jewellery shop on Janpath and carried out an audit. The operation continued for a very long time.
A separate team conducted raid on a jewellery shop located at Nayak Plaza and the owner’s house in Puri following allegation of tax evasion.
Sources said the GST officials verified the stocks, books of accounts and the related documents to find out whether the shop owners are evading tax. However, the outcome of the raids were still unknown.
Apart from Bhubaneswar and Puri, GST officials also conducted a raid at a jewellery shop in Sambalpur district on Friday.
It may be noted that jewellery shops witness a roaring business on the occasion of Dhanteras.